Purple Potatoes: Admire, Cook and Eat Them

Potatoes come in different colors and sizes, but one
variety will surprise you the most and that one is the purple. You may
be thinking why? Well, because they are way rarer than the russet and
red variety which can be found almost anywhere. The purple one is so
strange that most people cannot conceive them to be actual potatoes.

Purple potatoes are an unusual variety. They have
the typical
oval shape of traditional potatoes, but its most interesting feature is
the color. They have a dark purple skin often resembling a black potato.

If you think that the outside of the potatoes is
strange; the
interior will make you even more curious. Since they have a peculiar
aspect recipes prepared with them are going to have very
distinctive appearance.

In some cases, their flesh can be even darker than the
skin. This characteristic makes people very curious about their origin,
appearance and taste.

Facts

1- The
origin of these tubers (sometimes called blue
potatoes) is no different from the other varieties.

They come from the
South American continent; specifically from the mountains near Peru and
Bolivia. The amount of potato varieties that are found in South America
is staggering as more than a thousand types can be traced to the Andean
mountain range. It is a well known fact that several civilizations have
grown these potatoes for almost 8000 years. Today they are popular in
many parts of the world including the European continent.

2- Some of the varieties:

Purple Peruvian (or Peru Purple)

Purple Fiesta

Purple

Cream of the
Crop

Blue Marker

Purple Fiesta

Purple Majesty

Purple Passion

The Majesty gets a lot of attention due to its dark
purple
color which is more intense than in any other variety.

3- One
thing that is necessary for people to
understand is that purple potatoes taste like, guess what, potatoes.

Yeah, you might be surprised but is the truth.

They
don't taste like grapes or eggplants just because they have the same color inside. The purple color doesn't mean it tastes fruity or anything like that. I know when you look at them it gives the
impression they should taste like fruit but they don't. Red, yellow,
purple and white potatoes have a similar flavor. As in the description that was in the bag where they came, the purple ones taste like they have a bit of walnut in them.

4- Let’s
look at purple
potatoes vs white

The purple ones are great
for roasting, boiling, mashing and pretty much anything else you want
to make with them due to their intermediate texture. In a similar
fashion to the white type, they can be used for all kinds of recipes.
They are especially useful when looking to create aesthetically
pleasing dishes, which are hard to make with the white ones.

The white variety is pretty much an all around potato
with medium
starch content. Technically, you can use them for any type recipe, but
the best uses for them are baking, frying and boiling.

In this
chart you can see the comparison between the purple and white
potatoes:

The values are approximations but they provide a rough
idea
about the purple potato nutrition.

1 medium size
potato (213 g)

Purple

White

Carbohydrates (g)

42.7

33.5

Protein (g)

4.85

3.58

Fiber (g)

2.85

5.1

Calories

200

147

Fat (g)

0

0

As you can see the purple potatoes calories are slightly
higher than those of the white ones, which can be explained by their
higher carbohydrate content. Don’t be concerned about the higher number
of calories in the purple variety. It just means it provides more
energy than a white one.

5- The main feature of
the purple variety has something to do with its
dark color.

The deep purple color in fruits and vegetables is
generally
associated with a high concentration antioxidants, specifically the one
called anthocyanin. These compounds have been studied for a while, and
it has been observed they have beneficial effects over the blood
pressure and immune system.

People that have used this variety in most of their
meals have reported a reduction in their blood pressure and diabetes
symptoms. Many believe they can be even healthier than other varieties
such as the white.

Even in the tv shows like Dr.
Oz and the Doctors they are
mentioned as one of the most nutritious foods you can eat, so keep that
in mind.

Ready to use the
stove? Here's How to Cook Purple Potatoes - Recipes

You can use them for roasting, soups and salads too
but other varieties, such as the red ones, are more suited for that.
Some of the Purple potatoes recipes you can make are the following:

Preparing the salad

Purple potatoes mashed

As you can see in the
image above, these mashed potatoes have a very light purple color.

You
can use the rosemary herb with them as it is one of the most cohesive
herbs
that you can add.

Because of their unique appearance you might wonder, are
purple potatoes good with fish? They can be eaten with fish, chicken
and other meats.

Aside from that they can be consumed just alone or
with other vegetables.

Now you see why purple potatoes are not only be
incredibly good for your health, but also surprisingly effective
whenever you want to impress others with your dish preparing skills. Just in case you wanted to know, in my opinion, the best way to cook them is... boiling them for some remarkable mashed potatoes.